But the odds of Fortuño's selection were somewhere between zilch and hell-freezing-over, and it occurred to me that Norquist's railway soliloquy wasn't supposed to be a plausible argument, merely an attention-getting one. It had less to do with serious policy or sensible politics than with sheer performance. Norquist in a nutshell.

Norquist is an ideologue, and as such, you can't reason with him. He wants one thing and one thing only, a tiny federal government, and in his mind the best way to achieve this is to starve it. Which I suppose is as valid as any viewpoint, but it's inherently undemocratic as he advocates we not pay for what people have voted to have. He's using tax policy to break the will of the electorate toward his end goal.

The fact that he made this up when he was 13 years old and is clinging to it like a check the box do you like me yes or no is annoying.The real pisser is how he was able to hamstring so many into signing it. It is like they are all stuck in freshman year of high school, unable to see that compromise is necessary to exact change and to move this country forward.

I think every single Republican that signed this asshole's pledge is unfit to hold office.

They are elected representatives. The only pledge they need to uphold is their constitutional oath to their constituents. It is completely beyond the pale that they're signing loyalty pacts to a dickhead lobbyist with a shiatty idea.

For this reason alone, they deserve to lose control of the House, and I hope they get shellacked in a couple of years. They've damn well earned it.

There's no place for absolutists and absolutism in a democracy, which is designed for give-and-take, for compromise. That's one of the lessons of "Lincoln," which moviegoers are thronging to and intellectuals are swooning for precisely because it illuminates and validates the intrinsic and purposeful messiness of our system. It exalts flexibility. It venerates pragmatism. And I hope that Republicans and Democrats alike will keep those principles in mind as we approach the so-called fiscal cliff.

I heard Joe Scarborough (whom I respect a bit even if I don't agree with him) going off about how Norquist doesn't hold any power over the GOP and that the pledge is not to Norquist, but to constituents. "He's not the NRA" is what Joe said.

Take a look at the board of directors for the NRA and you'll see at least one familiar name on there.

silo123j:The fact that he made this up when he was 13 years old and is clinging to it like a check the box do you like me yes or no is annoying.The real pisser is how he was able to hamstring so many into signing it. It is like they are all stuck in freshman year of high school, unable to see that compromise is necessary to exact change and to move this country forward.

He is a political bully and this is his one claim to fame. A way he can wield power without the hassles of havingto run for and hold public office or be held accountable for his actions. Thanks to his pledge, those hungry enough for power signed his faustian pact, giving him their authority by proxy but not the accountability. Now he is seeing his power start to crumble and he is lashing out trying to "bully" them into line. At one time it would have worked, but now things are different. I am curious as to which side the conservative entertainment complex will take. It is not used to reporting on dissent within its ranks.

Every Republican in Congress has had to sign his pledge. While at the same time talking about liberty and democracy. And close to 50% of the country cheers them on. I honestly don't get this country. We think "pledge" means "liberty." We think "oligarchy" means "democracy."

DarnoKonrad:Norquist is an ideologue, and as such, you can't reason with him. He wants one thing and one thing only, a tiny federal government, and in his mind the best way to achieve this is to starve it. Which I suppose is as valid as any viewpoint, but it's inherently undemocratic as he advocates we not pay for what people have voted to have. He's using tax policy to break the will of the electorate toward his end goal.

However, he doesn't want to shrink government too much. He still wants it big enough to cover his salary and his taxpayer funded healthcare for life.

Zerochance:I think every single Republican that signed this asshole's pledge is unfit to hold office.

They are elected representatives. The only pledge they need to uphold is their constitutional oath to their constituents. It is completely beyond the pale that they're signing loyalty pacts to a dickhead lobbyist with a shiatty idea.

For this reason alone, they deserve to lose control of the House, and I hope they get shellacked in a couple of years. They've damn well earned it.

Zerochance:I think every single Republican that signed this asshole's pledge is unfit to hold office.

They are elected representatives. The only pledge they need to uphold is their constitutional oath to their constituents. It is completely beyond the pale that they're signing loyalty pacts to a dickhead lobbyist with a shiatty idea.

For this reason alone, they deserve to lose control of the House, and I hope they get shellacked in a couple of years. They've damn well earned it.

Their excuse is generally "well, I thought this agreement would only apply for one term!"

But that's utter bullshiat. Judge Grover Norquist for all his stupid ideas but at least he tells the truth about where his ideas come from and what his intentions are. And he says quite clearly that signers agree to his plan so long as they are in the House or in the Senate (if a Rep. runs for Senate he gets the chance to sign again).

These Republicans that signed the deal think their constituents are very stupid. And they might very well be. But there's the chance that enough will see through the bullshiat and look at these Republicans who basically said "no taxes... best part... FOREVER!" and vote them out for their fiscal irresponsibility and for being bigger lying sacks of shiat than the usual politician.

enry:I heard Joe Scarborough (whom I respect a bit even if I don't agree with him) going off about how Norquist doesn't hold any power over the GOP and that the pledge is not to Norquist, but to constituents. "He's not the NRA" is what Joe said.

Take a look at the board of directors for the NRA and you'll see at least one familiar name on there.

TheOther:There's no place for absolutists and absolutism in a democracy, which is designed for give-and-take, for compromise. That's one of the lessons of "Lincoln," which moviegoers are thronging to and intellectuals are swooning for precisely because it illuminates and validates the intrinsic and purposeful messiness of our system. It exalts flexibility. It venerates pragmatism. And I hope that Republicans and Democrats alike will keep those principles in mind as we approach the so-called fiscal cliff.

One problem with that idea/quote... Republicans only claim Lincoln when they want to talk about how they're not racist. Any other time they're firmly of the belief that Lincoln was a horrible president who was a tyrant and dictator and if hadn't been shot he would have declared martial law and ruled the country forever.

they were counting on Romney winning and also taking the senate, but their candidates couldn't stop talking about rape so they got neither. Now that have to deal with a President who is too close for comfort.

I've seen this more often lately. Is this a new meme I'm not aware of?

Yesterday I saw another thread with "Republican's kill"

Really? Don't tell me you're surprised that Republicans are somewhat illiterate and, well, stupid. This is a party that shuns education, after all. I'm actually looking forward to the day that these people can be enchanted by me pulling a Bic lighter out of my pocket and showing them my Promethian control of fire.

verbaltoxin:enry: I heard Joe Scarborough (whom I respect a bit even if I don't agree with him) going off about how Norquist doesn't hold any power over the GOP and that the pledge is not to Norquist, but to constituents. "He's not the NRA" is what Joe said.

Take a look at the board of directors for the NRA and you'll see at least one familiar name on there.

You mean Joe "[Nate Silver's] a joke" Scarborough?

Yeah, it's dumb statements like that which prevent me from saying I have a lot of respect for him. He's at least willing at times to complain about the tea partiers.

Anyone who ever wavers in their seething hatred of Grover Norquist should watch the episode 60 Minutes ran on him (even though I doubt you can get through the whole segment without wanting to punch your monitor). He makes these smartass comments that are always followed up with that grin of his. It's like he knows that America is suffering and slowly starving to death, and he actually seem HAPPY about the suffering of Americans. The ghoulish little corksucker is actually enjoying our misery!

TV's Vinnie:Anyone who ever wavers in their seething hatred of Grover Norquist should watch the episode 60 Minutes ran on him (even though I doubt you can get through the whole segment without wanting to punch your monitor). He makes these smartass comments that are always followed up with that grin of his. It's like he knows that America is suffering and slowly starving to death, and he actually seem HAPPY about the suffering of Americans. The ghoulish little corksucker is actually enjoying our misery!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K25kqP0YdZ0

I don't need to watch this want to smack him in the face. I'll pass thank you because, I have to watch my blood pressure.

verbaltoxin:enry: I heard Joe Scarborough (whom I respect a bit even if I don't agree with him) going off about how Norquist doesn't hold any power over the GOP and that the pledge is not to Norquist, but to constituents. "He's not the NRA" is what Joe said.

Take a look at the board of directors for the NRA and you'll see at least one familiar name on there.

You mean Joe "[Nate Silver's] a joke" Scarborough?

At least he (half) apologized to him, which is better than most of the conservatives who were critical of him.

The man deserves the most punishment society can meat out to one such as him - irrelevancy. Like Kirk Cameron, whose own obsessions drove him to the point of isolation from those whose support his ego depended upon.

The idea of Grover Norquist on a public access cable talk show with a host who has no idea who he is or what he is talking about and is simply reading from the poorly written and grammatically incorrect cue cards has a certain appeal to me. The fact that Norquist would submit himself to such an indignity with the idea that surely someone out there is watching would make it almost worthwhile that I myself would be that someone, laughing him into obscurity with my own indignity of explaining to others around me who he is and why I find his appearance on such a program humorous.

And then I would show up on the set with the bloody copy of Das Kapital signed by Elizabeth Warren, shot through with bullet holes from a semi-automatic assault rifle made legal to carry by his mortal enemy Obama and scream, "Behold! Dear leader, I have went forth and wrought vengeance upon that which offends thee! Might I ever fight mightily for your ideals and be fortunate to receive thy blessings and forever nurture that which you have striven to bequeath upon those deemed worthy to receive thy wisdom!"

And then he would give me that look, and say,

"Come forth, my child! Receive my teachings and be made wise! Depart and spread that which you have learned, converting the unbelievers and wreaking my vengeance upon those who have betrayed me!"

And I shall reply, "Nay, tis but a jest, thou foul-tempered and irrelevant one; behold, that which you have believed to be the diction of thine enemy is but a false cover upon thine own copy of Atlas Shrugged. Thy fortresses have fallen and thou hast been deemed not worthy of trial for thy foul deeds. Depart from this place and do whatever thy black heart desirests; thou hast no power over me, nor my people, nor my country; nay, thou art shunned even by thy closest confidants and those thou once brought to glory. I leave you with the foul and lingering stench of my flatulence, and may it offend thee in the manner thou hast offended so many of my brothers for these long years hence."

I've seen this more often lately. Is this a new meme I'm not aware of?

Yesterday I saw another thread with "Republican's kill"

Really? Don't tell me you're surprised that Republicans are somewhat illiterate and, well, stupid. This is a party that shuns education, after all. I'm actually looking forward to the day that these people can be enchanted by me pulling a Bic lighter out of my pocket and showing them my Promethian control of fire.